If Meng Shuying were perceptive, she would have understood the hint in Xie Hanzhu's words and left on her own. But instead, she remained unresponsive, standing motionless behind Su Luowei like a wooden statue, her eyes downcast as if she were an ornament.
Su Luowei recalled the task she had entrusted to Xie Hanzhu and vaguely guessed what she wanted to discuss. She cast a brief glance at Meng Shuying and said, "You may leave now."
At that moment, a small, pale yellow bird flew in and perched on Su Luowei's shoulder, chirping twice.
Upon seeing the bird, Su Luowei smiled gently and extended a finger toward it. The bird, unfazed, quickly hopped onto her finger and nuzzled her affectionately with its crest.
"Xiao Xuanfeng is here. Perfect timing. Go and get some spiritual rice to feed it."
Meng Shuying pressed her lips together, nodded, and took the bird from Su Luowei's hand, then headed toward the kitchen.
Not long after Meng Shuying had moved to Yanmo Peak, Xiao Xuanfeng had found its way there on its own.
Moreover, its timing was impeccable, arriving just when she and Su Luowei were dining.
Having not seen it for several days, Xiao Xuanfeng had noticeably thinned. It had swooped down from the sky and landed on the table before Meng Shuying, chattering incessantly.
If Meng Shuying could understand bird language, it would likely have been saying, "Meng Shuying, where have you been all this time? I've been searching for you everywhere and look at how I've slimmed down! Meanwhile, you're here living the good life with a beautiful lady by your side."
With abundant food available, keeping a small bird was no burden. Besides, Xiao Xuanfeng was highly intelligent, knowing full well that Su Luowei was the true benefactor. It was extremely attentive to her, quickly winning her favor.
And so, Xiao Xuanfeng had stayed.
As Meng Shuying's figure disappeared down the corridor, Xie Hanzhu took a sip of tea and said to Su Luowei, "Actually, I think Meng Shuying being here is quite good. I can't understand why you want her to go to Wénxiān Platform."
Though Meng Shuying was never particularly respectful toward her, it was clear to anyone with eyes that she was extremely attentive to Su Luowei.
Nowadays, everything from Su Luowei's food to her daily necessities was managed by Meng Shuying, and she did it all very well, in a way that perfectly suited Su Luowei's preferences.
"You and I were both born into cultivation families. When we came of age, our elders awakened our spiritual roots for us. So you probably don't know that ascending Wénxiān Platform is actually quite dangerous."
Wénxiān Platform was located at the top of Qingxu Mountain. When infused with a large amount of spiritual power, the array on the platform would activate, extending a wide staircase into the sky.
Anyone with spiritual roots could ascend the stairs, which consisted of ninety-nine steps. As long as one could reach the sixty-sixth step, they could awaken their spiritual roots.
Wénxiān Platform opened once every three years, with over two hundred participants each time. About half would stop at the thirty-third step.
These people invariably had mixed spiritual roots, making them unable to cultivate.
Among the remaining half, nine out of ten would stop at the sixty-sixth step.
These individuals had barely passable talent but lacked the necessary determination, making them unsuitable for cultivation.
The last twenty or so participants would need to continue climbing.
Because the higher one climbed on Wénxiān Platform, the more it proved their exceptional talent and determination.
"If one can't even reach the thirty-third step, it's not a big deal. They can simply walk back down. But for those who reached the thirty-third step and stopped at the sixty-sixth, many of them have suffered issues afterward."
Xie Hanzhu pointed to her own head.
She had asked a senior in the sect, who told her that at least half of those people either went mad or became simple-minded upon returning.
Su Luowei had never heard of these things before.
She frowned and asked, "If Wénxiān Platform is so risky, why do ordinary families still send their young to try?"
"Mortals revere cultivation and believe that having an immortal in the family is a great honor. They wouldn't know that some people spend their entire lives cultivating without even reaching the Foundation Establishment stage." Xie Hanzhu sighed and shook her head. "That's why I said Meng Shuying shouldn't go to Wénxiān Platform."
Su Luowei pondered for a moment before softly saying, "I'll ask her what she wants."
Recently, the system had issued a second task.
[Main Task Two: Join Qionghua Peak]
According to the original plot, Meng Shuying would shine brilliantly during this opening of Wénxiān Platform and be accepted as a disciple by Qionghua Peak's master, Min Lanmeng.
Su Luowei wasn't particularly worried about Meng Shuying's talent and determination. What concerned her was that after awakening her spiritual roots, Meng Shuying might not want to go to Qionghua Peak.
She seemed obedient, but in reality, she was extremely stubborn.
"Oh, and there's something else I found out. Each time Wénxiān Platform opens, the three peak masters each select one person from those who make it to the end, accepting them as inner disciples. Those who aren't chosen become outer disciples and can participate in future sect selections."
She figured Su Luowei would be concerned about this, so she had investigated it thoroughly.
Although she didn't particularly like Meng Shuying, she was willing to tolerate her for the sake of the care she provided to Su Luowei.
If Meng Shuying didn't join Yanmo Peak, she would have to move to the main peak, which was quite far away, making visits inconvenient.
If she moved, she certainly wouldn't be coming back to cook for the two of them.
Thinking about this, Xie Hanzhu furtively looked around like a thief. Once she was sure no one was nearby, she leaned in close to Su Luowei and whispered, "According to reliable sources, this time it's Yanmo Peak's turn to choose first. You might want to go and talk to the sect leader, suggest that she pick Meng Shuying when the time comes."
In past selections, the peak masters didn't base their choices solely on the results from Wénxiān Platform; they had their own criteria.
Given Zhan Xuehan's fondness for Su Luowei, if Meng Shuying successfully awakened her spiritual roots, bringing her into Yanmo Peak should be no problem.
Hearing this, Su Luowei remained noncommittal.
Even if she were to approach Zhan Xuehan, it would be to ask her not to choose Meng Shuying.
But it was still too early to visit Zhan Xuehan. She would wait until Meng Shuying awakened her spiritual roots before getting involved.
Meng Shuying knew nothing of their conversation.
She placed Xiao Xuanfeng on the table, took a small bowl from the kitchen shelf, and filled it with a handful of spiritual rice, a piece of self-roasted lingxi jerky, and a handful of fresh leafy greens. She then mixed them all together.
Before she could even call, Xiao Xuanfeng had already hopped to the bowl's edge, grasping the rim with its tiny claws, its neck stretched out as it eagerly began to eat.
Meng Shuying sat at the table, resting her chin on her hands as she watched the bird, deep in thought.
What could Xie Hanzhu and Senior Sister be discussing...
Was it because she hadn't cultivated, that she was just a mortal, and thus it was inconvenient for them to let her know?
A few days ago, when she went to the main kitchen for firewood, she overheard some of the servant disciples talking about how Wénxiān Platform would soon open.
But there were many servant disciples in the sect, and not all of them were eligible to ascend Wénxiān Platform. To be eligible, one needed a recommendation from an inner disciple at the very least.
This matter had been on her mind lately, and she had been looking for an opportunity to bring it up with her senior sister.
But she felt it might be overstepping.
Senior Sister had already been so good to her; she shouldn't trouble her further.
However...
She really wanted to cultivate.
That night, under a dim sky, Yanmo Peak was silent.
Meng Shuying sat by the window, one hand resting on the sill, the other supporting her head as she gazed at the lights in the distant valley below.
That place, glowing brightly, was Qingxu Peak.
Qingxu Peak seemed lively, but only those who had lived there would know how desolate it truly was inside.
She withdrew her gaze, looking toward Su Luowei's room.
A lamp was lit inside, casting a faint shadow of Su Luowei on the window.
At this hour, Senior Sister should be cultivating, Meng Shuying thought.
Senior Sister's routine was consistent: playing the qin in the morning, reading in the afternoon, and cultivating at night.
Occasionally, she would go out to meet with the sect leader or Elder Yunfei.
Meng Shuying had once overheard the sect leader saying that since returning from a trial in the mortal world, Senior Sister's temperament had changed a lot, becoming increasingly cold.
The sect leader also mentioned that Senior Sister had already achieved a complete Foundation Establishment and was just waiting for the right opportunity to form her Golden Core.
When Senior Sister heard this, she did not show any sign of joy, only smiling faintly.
A cultivator who formed a Golden Core would have their lifespan extended by five hundred years.
Meng Shuying's gaze darkened.
If she didn't cultivate, she would only have a few decades to live.
Time flies. A hundred years from now, would Senior Sister even remember her?
Probably not. By then, Senior Sister would have formed her Golden Core and taken on disciples.
There would be obedient and caring disciples by her side.
The thought of that scene suddenly made Meng Shuying feel a pang in her heart.
No, she couldn't allow that to happen.
She bit her lip, forcing down the surge of bitterness in her heart.
After staring at the window for a while longer, Meng Shuying abruptly stood up.
She had made a decision!
She was going to ask Senior Sister to give her a chance to ascend Wénxiān Platform.
Once she made up her mind, Meng Shuying felt she could wait no longer. She walked briskly toward Su Luowei's room but unconsciously slowed her steps as she approached the door.
Standing at the door, she took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart, and then lightly knocked.
Meng Shuying stood there quietly for a while before hearing Su Luowei's voice from inside.
"Come in."
Tonight, Su Luowei hadn't been cultivating.
She couldn't calm her mind.
She and Meng Shuying had lived together for three years now, and she believed she understood her quite well.
Seeing Meng Shuying about to reach a critical juncture in her destiny, Su Luowei couldn't bring herself to push her down this path.
But she had no choice.
If she didn't complete the mission, she would die.
Though her mind was full of thoughts, Su Luowei's expression remained calm. She looked at the young girl, who had now grown tall enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with her, and asked, "What is it?"
Only one lamp was lit in Su Luowei's room.
The light wasn't very bright, but it cast a soft glow over Su Luowei, making her seem less distant than she did during the day.
It seemed she had just bathed, as she was only wearing a white inner robe, her hair still damp and draped over her shoulders, accentuating her delicate features.
Meng Shuying momentarily forgot why she had come. Without thinking, she picked up a towel from the table and walked behind Su Luowei to dry her hair.
Su Luowei said nothing, simply sitting down at the table to make it easier for Meng Shuying to work.
With her gaze lowered, Meng Shuying could see Su Luowei's fair, delicate neck and the faint rise and fall below it.
Realizing she was looking where she shouldn't, Meng Shuying quickly averted her eyes, focusing instead on the flickering flame of the lamp.